Toyohiko Kagawa And The Chinese Christian Thought Trend In The 20^th Century

Toyohiko Kagawa (1888-1960) is a renowned Christian leader and Social activist in modern Japan. He devoted his life to promoting the development of church, calling on social reform, leading labor movement, helping the lower class and to appealing for world peace. He has a high reputation in Japan and international community. In a series of social practice, Kagawa's thought system focusing on Christian idea was gradually formed, which resounded much in Japan and the church. Meanwhile, the thought system had kinds of relationship with the Chinese Christian thought trend in the 20^th century.Christian Socialism is a more famous thought of the thought system of Kagawa. Kagawa's Christian Socialism is love Socialism, he claims that the reform of social politics and law must be on the base of love, and the social improvement must rely on the cooperative movement. Since the 1920s, Kagawa frequently visited China and gave lectures to preach his Christian Socialism. This promoted the spread and development of Chinese Christian Socialism. However, Zhang Shizhang, the representative of ChineseSocialism had his own concept of Christian Socialism--Jesusim. Although the twoChristians have different interpretations about Christian Socialism, but the ideal society displayed by their concept is the common pursuit of many people.Christian Pacifism is the most concentrated expression of Kagawa's thought. Kagawa continuously struggled for world peace in his most lifetime. Before and after the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war, he made great efforts for peace. But the frequent war destroyed the dream of Chinese and Japanese pacifists. Through the comparison of Kagawa and Wu Yaozong, who are well-known Christian pacifists, we find the ultimate fate of Christian Peace Movement in China and Japan is to silence and evolution in a very difficult and special political environment.The sermon thought concerning about the lower social classes is a bright spot of Kagawa's thought. Kagawa is keen to preach. In 1930, he launched the nationwide "Kingdom of God Movement". At the same time, the Chinese Church launched the "Five-year Movement". Through the analysis of the two Movements' relation and similarities as well as differences, we can find Kagawa has important influence on the preach movement in China, and even in the East Asia. This paper attempts to use the method of comparison to discuss the similarities and differences of Kagawa's three important thought and the counterpart of Chinese Christian thought in the 20^th century. The analysis of similarities and differences reveals Kagawa has played an important role as a bridge in promoting the exchanges of Sino-Japanese Church and even the friendly intercourse of different countries and nations. At the same time, it can help us to understand the actual development situation of modern Christian movement in Northeast Asia. It is of positive significance for strengthening international cultural exchanges and safeguarding world peace today.